Burner for contractors&#39; torches.



A.'F. JENKINS. BURNER FOR CONTRACTORS TOROHES.

APPLIOATIOH FILED JULY 20, 1909.

Patented Nov. 21

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UNITED STATES PA ENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER F. JENKIN's, 0E EALTIMonE, M RYLAND, AssIGNoR TO THE ALEXANDER MILBURN COMPANY, 012 BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

BTTRNER FOR CONTRACTORS TORGHES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

Application filed July 20, 1909. Serial No. 508,569.

To all whom ti may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER F. JEN- KINs, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burners for Contractors Torches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to burners especially adapted for open-air lights or torches, such as are commonly used by contractors and others.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved burner which is designed to successfully operate in strong winds without the flame being extinguished thereby, this desirable result being accomplished by means of a tubular guard or hood on the burner tip around and in advance of the jet orifice thereof to simply protect the jet of acetylene gas immediately at the region where it issues from the orifice, as here is the vital point' from which the strong and violent currents of wind must be excluded, and an important feature is the relation of the jet guard or hood to the orifice and flame, it being found, by experiment, that the guard or hood should terminate short of the beginning of the flame for if it extendstoofar from the orifice the flame will smoke and thereby diminish the light and cause soot-ing of the reflector. It will thus be seen that the hood or guard is primarily a protector for the jet when the reflector is removed, and in this respect the hood or guard is distinguishedfrom a flame protector used where very small flames sensitive to slight breezes are required.

Another object of the invention is the em ployment, in connection with this special form of burner tip, of a needle valve for regulating the size of the flame by varying the effective outlet area of the jet orifice and at the same time minimizing the danger of the flame being blown out by the wind because of the protection afl'orded the jet of gas by the guard or. hood, the particular advantage of the use of the needle valve being that the flame can be reduced to any extent without causing the generation of soot and hence the reflector will remain bright. It will thus be seen that with acetylene gas, two conditions must be satisfied to obtain a bright wind-proof smokeless flame, and such a flame can beobtained by terminating the guard or hood of the burner tip at a definite point between the beginning of the flame and orifice, and by maintaining a strong jet at the orifice by the use of the needle valve irrespective of the volume of gas issuing from the orifice.

\Vith these and other objects in View, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises'the various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a side View of a portable contractors torch to which the improved burner is applied, portions of-the torch being shown in section. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective View of the burner. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the burner. Fig. 4

1s a transverse section on line 44, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the needle valve. Fig. 6 is a transverse: section on line 6-6, Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a side view, partially in section, of a modified form of burner tip,

the hood being removable. Fig. 8 is a side view of the removable hood detached from the tip.

Similar reference characters are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the views.

While the improved burner is especially useful in connect-ion with contractors lights of the acetylene type and is so illustrated in the present instance, it is to be understood by dotted line at 2, and over thispipe is slipped a tubular burner carrying standard 3 which can freely turn on the outlet pipe as an axis so that therays of light can be thrown-in any direction without changing the position of the tank. On the upper end of the standard is mounted a burner designated generally by A which may be used with or without a reflector B as desired, the reflector being useful when it is required to the pivot is held in place in the coupling by a nut 9 screwed on a stud 9 projecting from the pivot, there being a washer 10 interposed between the nut and outer end of the member 7. By means of this pivot the burner can be tilted in a vertical plane which together with the rotary movement of the standard, will permit the flame to be thrown in any direction. On the bottom of the burner body is a hollow boss 11 into which is screwed a handle 12 whereby the burner can be conveniently tilted on its pivot. One extremity of the burner body is reduced at 13 for receiving the tubular extension piece 14 of the reflector B and which is securely held thereon by a set screw 15 on the said piece engaging in an annular groove 16 in the burner body. In the end surface of the burner body is a tapped opening 17 in which is screwed a metal tubular tip 18 that has a very fine jet orifice 19 through which the gas is discharged for combustion. The tip is provided with a hood or guard 20 in the form of a tubular extension which surrounds the jet of gas as it discharges from the orifice and it may be formed integral with the tip, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8, or it may be in the shape of a tube 21 slipped over the end of the tip, as shown in Fig. 7 the tube being partially split at 22, Fig. 8, so as to frictionally grip on the tip. By providing this cylindrical guard or hood on the tip in this manner the burner will.

' operate effectively in strong winds without being blown out and the importance of this feature will be apparent when it is considered that these contractors torches are used exclusively out of doors and the flame is unprotected. Even without the hood or guard, the flame will withstand a strong head-on or nearly head-on wind and it is to prevent the flame from being extinguished by a wind blowing transversely to the jet of gas. The orifice is so small that the jet as it leaves the orifice is very thin or attenuated, so that a cross wind will readily interrupt the jet and extinguish the flame. Hence the guard is used to overcome the effects of cross-winds, and just here it may be mentioned that the guard or hood must not be too long else the flame will smoke. In other words, the hood must terminate between the orifice and beginning of the flame to directly protect the jet and in nowise surround the flame.

Arranged within the burner tip 18 is a needle valve 23 for varying the eflective outlet area of the jet orifice to thus regulate the size of the flame and when the latter is considerably reduced the danger of its being extinguished by the wind is minimized by the hood or guard. The valve has a cylindrical body portion 2 1 which slidably fits in the tip and serves to center the point of the valve in the jet orifice, and this body portion has a plurality of longitudinal superficial grooves 2st for permitting the gas to pass the valve. The valve is attached to a slender stem 25 extending centrally through the bore of the burner and is threaded at 26 in a bushing 27 screwed into the outer end of the burner. The stem extends through the bushing and is Provided with a handle or wheel 28 for convenience in adjusting the valve. Around the stem is a packing 29 which is compressed by a cap nut 30 screwed on the projecting end of the bushing 27 to thereby prevent leakage of gas from the burner around the stem.

The extension piece 14 supports the reflector B at a point in advance of the burner tip so that the flame will be disposed more nearly at the focal center of the reflector to thus produce the maximum lighting effect, but of course the reflector is not used in all cases. The extension piece is provided with ports for admitting air to the space around the burner tip for mingling with the gas to promote combustion. One or more of these ports 28 may be provided with valves 29 for varying the supply of air to the flame.

A burner of the character is highly successful in operation and produces good results and is capable of fine regulation. It is furthermore comparatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. A single jet acetylene burner of the outdoor type comprising a body, a burner tip having a single jet orifice, a valve in the body for varying the effective outlet area of the orifice, a hood on the burner body surrounding and projecting forwardly from the orifice to protect the jet of gas from the disturbing action of the wind, a reflector, and means for detachably mounting the re flector on the burner body in such relation,

to the orifice that the flame is projected substantially axially of the reflector.

2. A single-j et acetylene burner of the out door type comprising a burner body having a bore, a burner tip secured to the body at one end of the bore and having a jet orifice, a Valve in the tip for opening and closing the orifice, a stem for the valve extending through the said bore, means for actuating the stem, a laterally extending hollow pivot on the body and communicating with the bore thereof, an upright rotatable gas conducting pipe forming a standard, a socket piece or coupling on the upper end of the standard, and means securing the pivot in the coupling for mounting the burner body to move in a vertical or horizontal plane, with a reflector mounted on the burner body and having an opening into which the flame passes from the burner tip.

3. The combination of a burner body, a reflector havingan extension piece projecting from the rear thereof and attached to the said body to support the reflector at a point in front thereof, said extension piece having means for admitting air to the flame, and a burner tip secured to the body within the extension piece, said tip having a jet orifice and a hood extending forwardly around the orifice.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER F. JENKINS.

Witnesses:

E. DELAHAY, JAMES G. KNOWLDEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

